United News of Bangladesh

Dr S R Lasker Library of East West University (EWU) hosted the 17th International Conference on Webometrics, Informetrics, and Scientometrics (WIS) from December 8-10 at East West University, Aftabnagar in the capital. The three-day conference was organized by COLLNET in association with the Society for Library Professionals and Special Libraries Association, Asia Community. The Inaugural Ceremony of the conference was held on Friday, December 8, at the Manzur Elahi Auditorium of EWU. Syed Manzur Elahi, Chairperson, Board of Trustees, EWU and Former Adviser of the Caretaker Government joined the inauguration as the chief guest. “Webometrics, Informetrics, and Scientometrics are always important fields in understanding and assessing the impact and dynamics of knowledge, research, and information dissemination in the digital age. This conference will provide a valuable platform for academics, librarians, information technology professionals, and policymakers advancing research and activities in these areas,” he said at the event. Professor Dr Shams Rahman, Vice Chancellor of EWU delivered the welcome speech at the inauguration ceremony. Dr Bernd Markscheffel, Academic Council (Senior Researcher), Department of Information and Knowledge Management, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany was the special guest on the occasion. Prof Jean-Charles Lamirel, Professor at  the Dalian University of Technology, China, and the University of Strasbourg, France, delivered the Keynote Speech during the session which was ended with a vote of thanks by the Conference Chair Dr Dilara Begum, Associate Professor and Chairperson, Department of Information Studies, and Librarian (In-Charge), EWU. Around 250 researchers, librarians, academicians and other professionals from different countries are participating in the conference, where a total of 85 research papers are being presented.

Law enforcement agencies detained 67 individuals, including 5 women, from the northern districts of Gaibandha, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat from Thursday night to Friday morning, on charges of fraudulence in the assistant teacher recruitment test for primary schools. In Gaibandha, members of the Rapid Action Battalion detained 35 of them people from different areas of the district including examination centres, during the examination itself on Friday morning. Several mobiles, electronic devices and various equipment to facilitate an elaborate cheating scheme were seized, said ASP Mostafizur Rahman, commander of RAB-13, during a press conference held at the Gaibandha RAB Camp's auditorium on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile in Rangpur, police detained 19 individuals, again from different areas of the district including exam centres and Rangpur city. During this time, 80 mobile phones and devices were seized from their possession, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman said in a press briefing this afternoon. Divulging the scheme put in use by the syndicate, the Commissioner said one group would be inside the exam centre - they would take pictures of the question papers distributed in the exam centre and electronically transfer them to their fellow conspirators outside. A few of the group outside are some of our everyday math geniuses, using modern devices to solve the problems to a T. Real candidates inside the exam centres then received these answers and in some cases removed them. Based on a tip-off, the police started the operation from Thursday night as they already had an active investigation in this regard. Apart from Rangpur, more members of this syndicate team have been arrested from different districts of the division. The detainees will be interrogated in this regard, said the officer, adding that a case will be filed against them. In Lalmonirhat, 13 examinees were detained on charges amounting to cheating in the primary assistant teacher recruitment examination on Friday. The detainees are Ashiq Siddiqui (25), Paranjan Roy (30), Nazmun Nahar (30), Rabiul Islam (31), Sahera Khatun (31), Lovely Khatun (31), Afrin Akhtar (27), Rafia Sultana (27). Khadija Khatun (30), Tripti Rani (26), Sohagi Begum (31), Mahabooba Raihana (29) and Tuli Rani Roy (29). Omar Faruq, officer-in-charge (OC) of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station, confirmed the detention on Friday afternoon. He said that the written examination for the recruitment of assistant teachers under the Department of Primary Education was held at 10am in various centers of the district. During the examination, 13 persons were caught red handed by the invigilators while using electronic devices in the exam halls. Later, they were handed over to the police. Legal action will be taken upon receiving a complaint, added the officer. The first phase of the government primary school assistant teacher recruitment test held at 535 centres under 18 districts in Rangpur, Barishal and Sylhet division. A total of 3,60,697 candidates were expected to take part in the exam.  

At least 74 percent of the country's students who are seeking university admission are suffering from depression, according to a study by Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). Among them, 26 percent of the students are suffering from mild depression, 26 percent of moderate depression, and 22 percent of the students are suffering from severe depression. A team of researchers led by Dr. Jamal Uddin, Professor of Statistics Department of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, conducted a survey titled 'Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among undergraduate admission candidates in Bangladesh: Anation-wide cross-sectional study' on about 5,000 university admission candidates of 2021-22 HSC session in the divisional cities of Bangladesh. Also read: DU undergraduate admission process to begin from December 18 Through this survey, the researchers divided the severity of depression among the university admission seekers into three categories. The study was published on Nov. 30 in the international multidisciplinary Q1 journal PLOS One (Impact Factor: 3.7, 2022). Regarding the study, Dr. Jamal Uddin said, "Factors have been identified behind both the increase and decrease of depression. Gender, blackmail, family problems, serious illness, Covid-19 diganosis, academic results, and psychological problems have been identified as factors behind the increase in depression." Also read: Single entry test for public universities not from next year: UGC Chairman "On the other hand, confidence in preparing for admission tests, exercise, study time, religious practice, play a role in reducing depression. Although family income and social media use have been identified as the catalyst for depression, their impact is not very strong [in these cases]. In addition, the study also revealed that there was no relation between the habit of smoking, marital status, love affairs and religious beliefs with the depression among the admission candidates." Another author of the study, Md. Abu Bakar Siddique, said that female students are almost twice as likely to suffer from moderate depression as boys. The correlation between recent experiences of blackmail and familial issues in students often leads to a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing severe depression, often two to three times more than their peers. He emphasized that genuine companionship and a supportive family environment are irreplaceable when it comes to alleviating depression among students. "Simultaneously, fostering awareness about physical fitness and religious discipline proves influential. It's crucial to prioritize not just the students' physical health but also their mental well-being. Beyond academic success, a collaborative effort from families, educational institutions, society, and the government is imperative to nurture a resilient generation, both physically and mentally," saod Abu Bakar. Md. Nafiul Hasan and Al Mahmud of Department of Statistics at SUST, Munmun Sarker, a student of the Department of Microbiology of Dhaka University, Mahmudul Hasan Milad, a student of the Department of Public Health of the University of Birmingham, UK, Akher Ali, a student of the Department of Statistics, Jahangirnagar University, and Jubayer Ahmed, assistant professor of the Department of Economics and Banking, Islamic University, Chattogram also contributed to the research.

The online application process for admission to Dhaka University's undergraduate programme for the 2023–24 academic session will start on December 18. The online application procedure will start at 12 pm on December 18 and continue until 12 am on January 5. Applicants will be able to download their admit cards from February 8 until the exam date. Also read: Prof  Maksud Kamal made 29th VC of Dhaka University The decision was made in the DU admission committee's meeting held at Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of Dhaka University on Tuesday which was presided over by DU Vice Chancellor prof. Maksud Kamal. This year, four admission tests will be held under four individual units. The units are Fine Arts unit, Science unit, Business education unit and 'Arts, Law and Social Science unit'. The admission test for Arts, Law and Social Science unit has been scheduled to be held on February 23; the date for the Business Education unit has been scheduled for February 24; and the test for the Science unit will be held on March 1. These three tests will be held in eight divisional districts of the country. Also read: DU introduces 'The Dhaka University Trust Fund’ The test(Drawing and MCQ) for the Fine Arts unit has been scheduled to be held on March 9 at Dhaka. The duration of all the tests will be one and a half hours and will start at 11 am and end at 12.30 pm on the scheduled dates. Applicants to the Science, Business Studies, Arts, Law, and Social Science units will be given 45 minutes for MCQs and 45 minutes for written tests. While 30 minutes for the MCQ exam and 60 minutes for the written(drawing)  exam have been allotted for the fine arts unit's test. Students will be evaluated on the basis of a total 120 marks in the admission test. Out of this total 120 marks, 100 will be counted from the test and 20 marks from SSC and HSC GPA. Applicants seeking admission must have to pass the Secondary/Equivalent examination in-between 2018 to 2021 and Higher Secondary/equivalent examination in 2023 . for 'Science Unit' GPA-sum of two board exam(SSC and HSC including 4th subject) have to be minimum 8 and GPA 3.5 separately in each exam ', for 'Arts, Law and Social Science Unit' GPA-sum of two board exam have to be minimum 7.5 and separately GPA 3.0 in each board exam  , Business Education Unit' must have minimum GPA-sum of 7.5 and separately GPA 3.0. And any student who has a total GPA of 6.5 and separately 3.00 in SSC and HSC can apply for the Fine Arts admission test. Also read: Single entry test for public universities not from next year: UGC Chairman

Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury has been appointed as the treasurer of Jagannath University (JnU) for the next four years. The Education Ministry issued a circular in this regard on Tuesday. According to the circular, Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury has been appointed as the treasurer of the university according to Section 12(1) of the Jagannath University Act 2005. Read: Professor Dr Mohammad Ashik Mosaddik joins EWU as new Pro-VC He will perform the duties of the treasurer as per subsections 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Section 12 of the Jagannath University Act 2005.Dr. Humayun is the Professor of the Department of Marketing at Jagannath University. He previously served as Dean of the Business Faculty of Jagannath University and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of South East University.

Professor Dr Ashik Mosaddik joined as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the East West University (EWU) on Monday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the Chancellor of the University, appointed him for the next four years. Professor Mosaddik previously served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Varendra University, Rajshahi. He was a first-batch student of the Department of Pharmacy at Rajshahi University (RU), where he completed his Bachelor's in 1993 and Master's in 1994. Read: Vested groups spreading falsehood about new curriculum: Dipu Moni   Afterwards, Mosaddik joined the Department of Pharmacy of Rajshahi University as a lecturer in 1998. He received his PhD from Southern Cross University, Australia. Later, he completed his postdoctoral research in South Korea from 2008 to 2010. Meanwhile, he served as the Chairman of the Department of Pharmacy at BRAC University from 2011-2012. Besides, he was a Research Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2019. Read: DU BCL thanks Sheikh Hasina for metro station at TSC  In 2011, he received the 'Young Scientist Gold Medal' for his research contribution from 'Developing Countries and Bangladesh Science Academy'. Prof Mosaddik has already published over 150 research articles in international journals as an expert in 'Natural Products' and 'Nano Medicine'.  Globally renowned publishers Elsevier  Science and Academic Press published his three books. Read: Prof Sadeka Halim becomes new VC of Jagannath University  Recognised as one of the world's top 2% scientists consecutively from 2020 to 2023 by Stanford University and Elsevier Science, Prof Mosaddik is also serving as the Chairman of the Pharmacy Affairs Committee in Bangladesh Accreditation Council.

Prof Dr Harun-ur-Rashid, former vice-chancellor of National University, has been appointed as 'Bangabandhu Chair' of National University (NU). The appointment decision was made at the 252nd syndicate meeting of the university on Saturday, said a press release. The 'Bangabandhu Chair' position has been introduced for the first time in the National University, it said. Vested groups spreading falsehood about new curriculum: Dipu Moni  Dr Rashid completed his BA (Hons) and MA in Political Science Department from Dhaka University and obtained PhD degree from London University in 1983 with Commonwealth Scholarship. He did post-doctoral research at the University of London, Uppsala University in Sweden and Ryukoku University in Japan. He started teaching as a lecturer in the Political Science Department of Chittagong University in 1979. Later he joined the Political Science Department of Dhaka University. Bangladesh offers quality education at affordable cost Dr. Rashid won the 'Bangla Academy Literary Award-2021' for his research on Bangabandhu. In 2016, he was awarded the Best Book Gold Medal by Bangladesh University Grants Commission for Best Publications. Dr. Rashid has written 19 original research books so far. His 100 research articles have been published in journals at home and abroad. He recently served as 'Bangabandhu Professorial Fellow' at the Bangladesh Chair of the South Asian Institute at Heidelberg University, Germany. DU BCL thanks Sheikh Hasina for metro station at TSC He was also selected for the "Bangladesh Chair: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Professorial Fellowship" at the South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University, Germany.

Education Minister Dipu Moni has claimed that misinformation is being spread about the new curriculum by people and groups with vested interests. “Various things, including videos, are being spread through social media that are not part of the curriculum or our training. Misinformation about the new curriculum is being widely circulated,” she said. She made these remarks at the inauguration ceremony of the distribution programme of selected books (except textbooks) among secondary-level students at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in the capital on Sunday. Read: Students will be assessed based on their skills in the new curriculum: Dipu Moni “There is a lot of misinformation circulating about the new curriculum, and this is due to the fear of losing personal or group interests. Some individuals and groups are running propaganda against the curriculum. And now it's election time. The provocations of political opponents have been added to this situation,”she said.  Addressing the parents, the education minister said, “For a long time, parents were too preoccupied with how many marks their children got, whether they got a GPA-5, whether they came first, second, or third, or whether their child got more marks than other children. The current curriculum has been developed to remove this mentality and create a spirit of cooperation among students. Some parents have doubts about these changes. They are being exploited by this group.” Read: Future megaprojects to focus on education, health: Dipu Moni  “I would say to the parents – look, look at your children. If your child is in seventh grade, has his behavior changed? Don't focus on how many marks he/she got; focus on whether he/she is learning. Be patient,” she said.  Dipu Moni also said, more than 800 experts from the country were involved in formulating the new curriculum.  “Everyone is involved in one way or another. It was sent to various ministries. People's opinions and suggestions were taken on the website, discussed in parliamentary committees, and finally presented to the Prime Minister, who approved it with some suggestions. We are saying, all the books are experimental editions, and we did not say there is no need for refinement or revision. We believe there is room for improvement in these books.I am taking everyone's advice for that,” she added. Read: US visa policy won't affect students going abroad for studies: Dipu Moni

Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon organized the first ever “Bangladesh Education Fair” on Sunday in Yangon with great enthusiasm and fervor. Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Dr Md Monwar Hossain inaugurated the fair in the morning in presence of a large number of students seeking higher education opportunities abroad. Reputed public and private universities of Bangladesh namely Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University (BSMRAU), American International University Bangladesh (AIUB), Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) and North South University (NSU) of Bangladesh participated in the fair. The Embassy also organized a seminar titled “Affordable & Quality Education for all” at the same venue, said the Embassy in a media release. Ambassador Monwar Hossain in his opening remarks highlighted Bangladesh as one of the fastest growing economies in South Asia and said that it is on the right track to be a middle-income country by 2031 and a developed country by 2041. He mentioned that this vision warrants a mission of developing its human resources. To fulfill this vision the present government has been encouraging tertiary level private education in the country. The Ambassador mentioned that these higher education institutions are offering various quality undergraduate and post-graduate courses at an affordable price. This education fair will not only boost Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral relations but also strengthen people-to-people contact. He mentioned that the fair will open up new opportunities for the Myanmar students. Ambassador thanked all the participating universities from Bangladesh and appreciated the inquisitive students of Myanmar for actively participating in the fair. The participating universities made presentations highlighting available courses as well as their facilities. Following the presentation, the visiting students and guests asked different questions to the representatives of the Universities enquiring about courses and admission requirements. Myanmar students, representatives of the Yangon based higher educational institutes, academicians, parents and people from relevant fields attended the fair. Nay Oke, President of the Private Schools-Colleges-Universities Association of Myanmar also spoke on the occasion and offered collaboration between their association and Bangladeshi universities. Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar has taken a new public diplomacy initiative titled “Campus Connect” with a view to making outreach to various educational institutions, museums and cultural entities in Myanmar and to facilitate collaborations and longstanding partnerships between the identical institutions of the two countries. On the eve of the fair, the Embassy hosted a dinner which was attended by 5 Rectors of Yangon based public universities, Nay Oke, VC of North South University, representatives of the participating universities, Thant Kyaw, Chairman of Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) and Embassy officials.   

Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)'s Dhaka University unit expressed their gratitude and thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for constructing the Metro Rail station beside the university's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC). A day-long thanksgiving program, titled ‘Metro at TSC: Thank you Sheikh Hasina’, was organised on the premises of the  Anti Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture under the banner of general students. DU BCL General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Saikat inaugurated the program at 10:30 am on Saturday. ‘We believe that the Metrorail will alleviate the transportation challenges faced by Dhaka University students,’ said DU BCL GS Saikat. Graduate Programs in the US: Guide for Bangladeshi Students